Rise of the Weakest Summoner

“Aren’t we worried that it might shoot out those columns of light again and bring another avalanche of enemies onto our heads?” Tina asked while taking a glance at the magic badge.

“We know it does that when the gaps are filled so Asterios can leave one empty,” Silvia pointed out.

“We assume to know,” Althea corrected her kindly. “I’m not completely sure I properly completed the circuit that time. The explosion of mana happened when I tried to join the rotation created by him and Miria. It could have been the interference I caused instead that brought forth such a reaction.”

“Well, we are going to confirm that soon, aren’t we?” Selene looked between the other ladies. “At least we are in a place where the monsters are going to be greatly inconvenienced while we can make use of our talents to stay in the air.”

“There’s no need to take chances,” Asterios joined in and the girls turned to him. “Since we aren’t going after the last two clusters that this token needs, we can simply obstruct the outgoing light ahead of time.”

“Master is so right!” Miria giggled cheerfully. “How are we going to do that? Should we look for a cave or get back to the mountains?”

He shook his head and his gaze wandered to their butler friend. “Umbra?”

“At your command, Master.” His familiar bowed respectfully.

Making a pattern with his fingers through the air, the shadowy Duke raised thick shadows around them. The opaque barrier rose into the air until it locked them all inside a sealed dome of complete darkness. Yet, they all could see perfectly well inside. Before anyone asked why, they understood.

Ast’s draconic sight had already been like a perfected version of Darkvision, but now that he had grown his black Heart, he was almost if not already one with the true darkness. It didn’t inconvenience him. Rather than that, it obeyed him. And through him, the women were saved from the mischief of all the natural and unnatural shadows.

“That’s cool.” Tina smiled with wonder-filled eyes. “Doesn’t that mean you could have created a bubble like this too?”

“Perhaps, but Umbra is much more experienced in it,” Asterios replied with a nod towards their friend. “And I will need to focus on this thing so it’s better to leave it in someone else’s capable hands.”

“I’m always glad to be of assistance.” The Duke let out an appreciative chuckle. “Perhaps one day there will come a time that you will be helping me out, Master. Or teaching me the proper way to use certain techniques. I don’t claim to be all-knowing in the matters of darkness and shadows, no matter how many centuries I had to practice and explore them.”

“I would do that with extreme pleasure.” Asterios grinned. “But, I feel like you are going to get much more from your friendship with Kori. I bet our dungeon friend must be missing you greatly during this journey.”

The ladies agreed with him and Umbra didn’t deny getting close to the Dungeon Core. He didn’t need to since their budding relationship was fairly noticeable.

“Okay. Let’s see if we got any closer to solving our issue or if we were chasing a wild goose for days, wasting our time.” Rotating the artifact, Asterios focused on his natural energy.

Just like before, while he held onto the broken disc, an additional segment recovered with golden ethereal light. Also the same as before, the mysterious grid of hexes hovered above the badge in an arc. He examined it alongside the women, but they spotted no changes to the weird mesh no matter how they looked at it.

Miria then offered to join him and Asterios attempted the joint circulation once more. Everyone prepared themselves for a violent flash as the final piece of the artifact filled up, but all that happened was a faint shimmer within the displayed illusion. They blinked confusedly at the lackluster reaction.

“That’s it?” Tina frowned deeply. “Maybe Althea was right.”

“Wait.” Silvia grabbed Ast’s wrist as he was tilting the image around with Miria.

The pair halted their movements and let her take a closer look at whatever she had noticed. Kneeling in front of them, the princess peered into the mesh from below, her pretty amber eyes scanning the hexagons attentively. The others followed her lead, curious about her discovery.

“Don’t these dots look like… constellations?” Selene asked thoughtfully.

“I had the same feeling,” the scarlet-haired girl admitted. “But these definitely don’t belong to our world.”

Even Umbra and Abyss took a peek as the duo raised the token above their heads.

“I recognize these patterns…” The Duke whispered to himself.

A moment later, the dome hiding them away from sight retreated into the ground. Moving closer, Umbra took hold of Ast’s and Miria’s wrists and started messing with the angles of the illusory projection, clearly aiming it toward the dark sky. After a good while, he stopped abruptly.

“Don’t move for a second, please,” he requested politely. “Creator, do these align somewhat?”

Abyss’ deep eyes peered into the spot he pointed out with such an intensity the others were worried she might pierce holes in the very magic upholding this mesh.

“That seems to be correct.” She nodded slowly. “However, now that I look at it, the position of this particular group of stars doesn’t align with my memories. Not by much, but for someone who spent ages sculpting and observing this world, tiny details like these tend to end up engraved in one’s mind.”

Walking out of the golden umbrella of hexagonal shapes, she then turned her head to the sky and watched every corner of its surface with unparalleled focus.

“Something is not right,” Abyss stated. “I can’t rule out the possibility that the realm became misaligned over time, but I have this weird feeling that it’s a much deeper issue.”

“Nevertheless, I think this is a star map, Master,” Umbra said while she continued to ponder. “And from the hints it offers, I’m almost certain I know where it’s leading. We’ve been there already, even. This particular constellation should be located above the Darkling habitat, more or less.”

“Which would be where this damaged disc comes from,” Miria noted. “If those creatures didn’t bring it from somewhere far away, of course. Coincidence?”

“It might be.” Asterios hummed to himself. “But it also might not be. I say we check it out. What do you think?”

“We go wherever you go.” Althea smiled at him elegantly.

Receiving similar affirmations from the rest of his mates, he turned the projection off and hid the gate key away. Umbra offered to transfer them to their destination, but Asterios wanted to test a few things related to his recent advancement. That got the attention of literally everyone and they gave him some space to prepare.

First, he assumed the form of a black True Dragon. Second, he further drew on his onyx Heart and spread the dark energy through his majestic body. Tongues of black smoke wafted from between his scales until he became fully swallowed by them, ending up with the same misty appearance as he had shown right after consuming the last cluster.

Moving around a little, Asterios got the hang of it rather quickly. The main advantage of this half-corporeal and half-not constitution was its incredible mobility. He moved from place to place like a cloud of menacing mist, at an impressive pace too. It allowed him to sink into the very ground as long as it was shrouded in darkness, utilizing a similar transfer to Umbra’s Shadow Step.

The only question was if he could carry others this way.

So, Selene volunteered to check that out. And while she could still mount him as usual, whenever Asterios dove into a shadow, she would be left behind. But, they didn’t quit right away and he came up with a different tactic. Trying to recall the feeling of having Althea within his frame, he suddenly chomped on the fox lady’s figure, swallowing her whole. The girls gasped in shock, even if they inherently knew she wasn’t hurt.

Right after, the space over Ast’s draconic chest changed a bit and they found their sister-mate inside that partially transparent shadow cocoon. She snuggled with the darkness embracing her and waved her hand at them with a happy smile.

Easy to guess, Miria didn’t last a second more and begged Asterios to eat her too.

And just like that, they all ended up in his belly, squeezed together behind the translucent pane. Umbra found a way to attach himself to Asterios, partially merging with his shadowy body. Abyss abstained from such actions, naturally, as she was capable of crossing the distance in a blink, most likely. Perhaps she would be willing to share that technique with Asterios, he hoped.

With his passengers ready as much as they could get and excited as much as he could handle, he took flight. But, instead of simply moving physically at high speeds, he tried to weave the shadow affinity into the process, imitating Umbra’s techniques. His form shrunk into a dark stain and he zipped over the terrain.

Gaining a bit of practice, he managed to include long-distance jumps through the shadows too, increasing their pace considerably. If they continued traveling like that, they would arrive at their destination in days instead of a week or so. But, since it was still relatively new to him, the girls convinced Asterios to take breaks instead of going for a full marathon.

During those moments, Umbra took over once more while he rested alongside his mates, sharing experiences and insights with them. Thanks to that, he became faster each time it was his turn, and they reached the Darkling village two days quicker than it had taken them to cover the same distance.

Stopping away from it so as not to bother their overzealous friends unnecessarily, they gathered around Asterios and Miria, who activated the disc once more. The map showed up properly and the group worked together to align the purplish dots in the sky with the golden ones visible on the hexagonal mesh. It took a few minutes and some snappy arguments about who saw the pattern better, but they got it almost perfectly in the end.

“Looks like this is it,” Silvia said while rubbing her chin gently. “What did we gain from this puzzle?”

“I expected a big flash or a revelation of a super hidden and mysterious facility, but this is kinda disappointing,” Miria commented with a small sigh.

“It’s a map, in the end,” Selene pointed out.

“But also a key, considering its shape fit the hole at Umbra’s peak,” Althea added. “We need to look closer.”

“I have deciphered the directions,” Abyss stated nonchalantly, turning heads right away. “The outer edges of the two marked constellations point to a specific spot.”

“That means this map doesn’t lead to an underground hideout like the ones we have been visiting but instead leads into the sky?” Asterios summed up. “I don’t see anything above us.”

“That doesn’t mean there’s nothing there,” his mentor reminded him wisely. “Rhufija’s nest was hidden behind illusory and deterring arrays.”

“We should investigate,” Silvia suggested. “Maybe we have been looking the wrong way this entire time?”

“That would make me feel so bad.” The panthergirl groaned in frustration.

“Can you guide us to where this map goes without having it open?” Asterios asked the dark-skinned lady.

“Of course.” Abyss nodded.

“Let’s fly, then.” He nodded back with gratitude.

Pocketing the token, Asterios shifted again, this time without turning into literal darkness. Helping the ladies up, he took off into the air. As he sped up at a sharp angle, Abyss accompanied them on the side effortlessly. It almost looked like the enigmatic woman was attached to their orbit somehow, moving exactly as fast as they were, but they could tell she was simply matching their pace.

If that wasn’t an incredible flex, then they didn’t know what was.

The village below them grew smaller and smaller as they gained altitude. The further they went, the stronger the pressure around them became. Asterios knew that it could start being rather dangerous at a certain distance, at least in Kraedorion, as his studies did include general knowledge about higher layers of the sky and the space behind it. It wasn’t impossible to reach with magic and artifacts, but they currently held none of those specialized items.

Even so, he was ready to protect his beloved with his might, bringing them as far as they could go. He didn’t know if Umbra’s realm followed the same principles, but it had to have its edge at some point. And in case they wouldn’t be able to continue, Abyss surely shouldn’t have such limitations, already having mentioned before how she traveled the space between worlds.

For now, he had his energies at the ready and continued to shield the girls as they ascended. The village was now a small dot the size of one’s nail, almost disappearing in the dark terrain. It couldn’t go much farther, could it? Or did it span over days worth of travel perhaps?

“Stop—”

DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN.

Asterios heard Abyss call to them, but before he had a chance to react, he slammed into an invisible barrier at full speed. The ladies yelped in shock and surprised as the loud noise of a metal gong echoed around them. Pretty much all of them flew off Ast’s back and smacked into the concealed obstruction, which was now slightly more noticeable as a golden pulse traveled outwards from the point of impact in a circle similar to that made by a rock thrown into a silent lake. Thankfully, Selene created a wide platform for them to land, including Asterios.

“What happened?” Miria shook her head with a wince. “Did we hit something?”

The mocha-skinned woman descended next to them. “My apologies. I can’t believe I miscalculated the position of the barrier. It shouldn’t be this close to the surface. At least that’s how I remember it from the outside. Perhaps this is another unusual change that took place during my absence.”

“Is the seal shrinking?” Selene wondered out loud, bringing their foothold higher.

She held her arms out and stopped when her hands touched something that she couldn’t see.

“Even you weren’t able to spot it?” Silvia asked Asterios.

“Now that I’m putting more effort into it, there is a slight shimmer ahead, but nothing emitting enough spiritual energy to equal a powerful realm-spanning seal that requires the support of numerous condensed clusters,” he replied confusedly. “Maybe that person is just this good at hiding his work.”

“No. This thing gives off a completely different aura,” Abyss said with a tense note. “Step back.”

Spotting the evil-looking tome making an appearance, Selene hastily moved them quite a bit away, not willing to risk it. Asterios took the position in front of everyone while she readied to bring up any additional protection they could need. Something told her that their friendly goddess wasn’t going to hold back for the sake of the realm this time.

And surely, they were suddenly hit with such a powerful spiritual pressure that Selene’s platform flickered briefly before she stabilized it, the others flinching from the mighty assault. Their entire bodies prickled like in an icy cold climate as they watched Abyss hold onto her grimoire, quietly chanting some incantation in a language that reminded them of cracking rocks.

With a loud thunder, a violet splinter appeared in the air behind her, rivaling an at least ten-story-high tower. Then, fingers thick as entire houses and as galaxy-patterned as the inside of Abyss’ gravity-defying hat from the inside pushed out of the breach, all six of them, three per side. They tore the crack open, but from their position, Ast’s team couldn’t see what exactly it revealed as they stared at the scary crevice from behind.

Whatever it was though, it brought forth a massive chisel while emitting ear-splitting shrieking noises that forced them to cover their ears. The starry arms the size of a warehouse positioned the tool made of pure seething and seeping void energy that dripped off it against the invisible barrier. A hammer of the same design and much bigger size followed it.

When that hammer moved back, everyone knew what for.

Closing her fist angrily, Abyss commanded the cosmic horror to strike true, and strike it did. The combination of the barrier’s echoing gong and the hammer striking the chisel was so powerful that Asterios and the ladies could hear only painful ringing in their skulls. No amount of covering their ears or silencing their surroundings helped them. The noise was transmitted spiritually at this level.

A massive wave of golden radiance launched into all sides from the point of impact, and for a moment, it looked like it would hold. But, the arm finished preparing another strike and struck with even more power. This time, the chisel went right through the tough surface. Immediately, cracks shot to the sides as if it had struck glass, and a moment later, they surged everywhere.

The entire sky was in pieces, as far as their eyes could see.

In the next second, it was gone.

Golden particles fell from above the whole canopy spread over the realm shattered. Asterios and the girls shielded their eyes from the initial wave and peered into the sky again.

And their breaths hitched at the very same time.

They were met with a humongous golden web of magical arrays, formations, circles, sigils, glyphs, and patterns. There was no doubt that this was the true seal locking Abyss’ world out of the big universe. It felt so wrong simply existing above the dark dimension, its yellow radiance now falling onto the shadowy surface and bathing it in a faint glow.

But, that wasn’t all.

Somewhere between their position and that magical screen, what looked like massive passages made of white blocks extended in every direction. They always connected at right angles, creating a cross-like framework around the world. 

One of those geometrical branches ran down not that far away from the spot Asterios and the others had paused at, descending into a grand fortress of the same style and design. Cubes poked out of it as if randomly combined, but they definitely had a meaning.

Additionally, a gigantic empty tunnel ran through the very middle of the curious structure, perfectly circular in this case. It reminded everyone of the static chasm, but on a smaller scale. That one extended for days while the one before them could be traversed in minutes.

More of these fortresses could be spotted at regular intervals over the realm-spanning network of white blocks.

“So the seal is visible from the inside too,” Abyss mused, banishing her helper back into its resting place. “That bastard covered it up so the natives know nothing about what is happening.”

“It looks like we really were looking the wrong way.” Tina let out a wry chuckle. “These weird geometric buildings seem important.”

They heard a snap, experienced a strong pull, and the giant facility was above them. As their heads shot to the only person capable of literally displacing all of them without breaking Selene’s techniques, Abyss simply stared back cooly and shrugged.

“We can examine it sooner now,” she said without any care in the world. “I think I can see the entrance.”

Without waiting for them, the moody woman flew towards the white structure. Asterios shook his head while the ladies laughed at their bizarre life and the fox lady launched their platform after their guide. They soared between various protrusions for a minute or two before spotting Abyss waiting for them on one of the flat surfaces. In front of her stood a familiar gate, one that resembled those of the buried facilities.

Everyone hopped off the floating spiritual panel and gathered before the impressive entrance. Asterios quickly found a circular niche fitting the mysterious token and shared a nod with his party. Getting ready to run or fight, he slotted it into the hole.

A golden ring appeared around it, glowing brightly on the white surface. Then another. And another.

They stopped at a total of eight circles, and the process paused. A few seconds later, two more joined the formation but flashed red instead. Asterios instantly shifted and covered his mates, a powerful wave of light comparable to that of the spiritual cluster shooting out of the gate. He withheld its assault for thirty seconds before it faded. As he and the girls peeked back at the entrance, they found the token on the ground and emitting faint smoke.

“Well. It seems we might need those two last pieces before gaining access to whatever this place is,” he commented tiredly. “Unless Abyss is willing to create a shortcut once more.”

The dark-skinned lady picked the badge up and held it out to him. “Even if I did, there’s a high chance it’s not merely a gate key but something much more. We might require it inside. A fully charged version of it.”

“You can’t have everything.” Silvia patted Ast’s scales reassuringly. “Let’s take a rest to recover from all the experiences we’ve just gone through and we can fetch the remaining fragments at full strength. My ears are still ringing a lot. I’m fairly sure we understand each other only thanks to our shared thoughts.”

The girls chuckled while nodding in agreement while Abyss offered them a quiet apology. Asterios glanced at Umbra and smiled warmly.

They had to be close to their objective now.